Give Little, Gain Much
by SuperSmasher4Ever
Summary: Sometimes you need to give a little to gain a lot. Letting go of his anger towards his father, Ash learns the ways of Aura. Learning from his Teacher, Riley Gen and his Lucario, together Ash and his young Riolu will train in the forgotten ways of Nature's Energy. Smart/Aura Ash. Anime/Games adaption. Rewrote as: Give Little to Gain Much!
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Pokémon! It would be cool if I did, but I don't so...too bad for me I guess.**

**Oh well, welcome to my first story! :D**

**X**

Riley Gen was hardly a morning person. Even if he was , he couldn't wake before 11:30 AM to save his life. Even his trusted companion, Lucario, had trouble waking him from his deep sleep.

Lucario sighed and looked at his sleeping Master's Poketch, of which told him the time: 10:24. The jackal sighed again. They were late. No surprise there. Lucario switched the app on the watch, changing it to the map. To get to Professor Oak's lab, they had to travel through Pewter City, Viridian Forest, and Viridian City in less than 8 hours. The Pokémon grabbed a bucket and filled it with water from the stream they had set up camp near.

Lucario knew that bringing the bucket would be a good idea.

If his master didn't want to wake himself up, He'd have to do it himself…

**X**

_Splash_

The sound that came from Riley as he got a faceful of ice cold water, courtesy of Lucario, was a gasp and cough as Riley spit up his un-welcome face full of water. The Humanoid Dog-like Pokémon snickered. He'd never get tired of this.

Riley scowled as he picked himself up and grabbed his clothes that he had set next to him the night before. "That was hardly necessary Lucario," He said calmly.

'**Maybe not, but it was fun**,' Lucario taunted Riley with his Aura speech. They may have been each other's best friends, but that didn't stop Lucario from showing his mischievous side, and that side was usually against Riley.

"Well, at least the egg isn't wet," Riley responded, putting his Black trousers on, along with his hat. The Egg the Professor requested to study in his gloved hands.

'**Don't take it the wrong way, Master. We are already late enough for you to be dozing at this hour.**' Lucario reasoned. Lucario may have liked to pull pranks on Riley, but the man was just as bad with his pranks as he was. Maybe worse.

Lucario shuddered at the memory of the time he tied his Master to a rock for taking an 'unnecessary' break and falling asleep. He was still trying to force that memory out of him. His Mentor would never let him live that down.

"Alright, fine. just this once I will allow you to get away with it," Riley said, eyes alit with humor. "We better head out now. Professor Oak would not like to be kept waiting."

Lucario nodded, and both human and Pokémon set out to their next destination, Pallet Town.

**X**

Ash Satoshi Ketchum, a 16 year old boy, was ready to start his journey.

After years of waiting, he could start his search for a certain person. Someone who almost never left his mind.

It was his father.

Ash clenched his fist at the thought of that man who thought he could hurt his mother and run away. The man who had left because he was a coward. The man Ash had as a father.

He would find answers as to why he left. The little he had known of his Father came from his mom's Journal, which, although he felt bad about it, had stolen and read it before. He tried to force the memory of the tear stained paper telling of what his mother lived with. He would search for him out there, and he would find him.

Ash had to find him. He had to know why his father could do those things to his mother. He had to know why.

"Ash? Are you still awake," He heard his mother scold him for being up too late. "You know you're supposed to get up early."

"Sorry mom, I'll go to bed now," He said to her.

"You better, you can't get up late for your journey now, that would be terrible!" And with that she was gone.

Ash knew that she depressed lately. He would be too, if he was left by _his _son to go on a dangerous journey that could possibly kill him, leaving her alone. But he had to go, he just had to know of his father.

Ash eventually got lost in thought, thinking of his mother. She wouldn't be completely alone, he knew. Professor Oak would most likely stop by to see her now and again. He just hoped she would be okay. She was quick to lose her cheerfulness at times, and that upset Ash. That man had no right to take away his mother's happiness. That was unforgivable.

Ash realised he had spent much more time thinking than he thought. Looking at the clock, it had been awhile since his mom had come in. With the thought of this mother on his mind, he drifted off to sleep.

He had no idea what awaited him when he awoke.

**So how was that? Bad, good, terrible, amazing...You tell me. Review! Ask me questions or criticize me to make me a better writer. Anyways, I'm out. Peace! :) EDIT: I reworked this chapter a bit, hoping to make it a bit better. For one, I added scene breaks. I don't want people to close out a story for not having something like scene breaks, which I can add easily. EDITED: 11/26/14**


	2. Chapter 2

**I would like to thank Soof49 for the review telling me on the things I have overlooked. He/she opened my eyes to grammar mistakes and some problems that I will try to fix. **

**As usual, I do not own Pokémon, and I will never unless Nintendo sells me it after becoming bankrupt. Which, we all know, will never happen.**

**X**

_Beep Beep Beep!_

"Ugh, I knew I shouldn't have stayed up so late," Ash groggily pushed the covers off of himself, hitting the sleep button on his alarm clock on his desk. "I know today's the day I get a Pokémon, but why do I have to get up so early?"

"Ash, breakfast is ready," Delia Ketchum called from downstairs. "If you don't hurry up, you'll miss it!"

"I'll be down in a minute," Ash yelled down to her. "Give me a minute!"

Making his bed, Ash Ketchum hurried up and got dressed in his usual outfit, a black t-shirt with a light jacket over it, along with light blue pants and black/white sneakers. He grabbed his backpack which he had set next to his bed the day before.

Ash opened the door to his room and walked downstairs to greet his mother and the family Pokémon, Mr. Mime. Ash really didn't know much about the Psychic Pokémon, despite living with it for years. He only ever saw it cleaning the house, or doing chores with his mother. It was almost always silent anyways.

"Good morning Ash," Delia greeted him. "How was your sleep?"

"Good, I may have stayed up later than I needed to," he responded, "I guess I was a little excited." '_Excited to find _him _at least.'_ Ash mentally scowled. He wouldn't forget to find him. No, he wouldn't. Not after leaving him and mom to live by themselves.

"Well, you must have been, I know your dad was excited. Did you know he woke up late on the day he was to get a Pokémon?" Delia smiled at the memories, although Ash could tell it was forced.

Ash sat down at the table. He scowled when his mother mentioned his dad, but he hid it from her. He quickly began eating to finish early. He had to be at Professor Oak's soon. He only had a bit of time before he had to meet the Professor.

"Sorry to cut this short mom, but I have to go now," Ash said as he made his way to the door. "Will you be there when I get my Pokémon?"

"Of course honey, just let me put my work clothes on. I still have to manage the Restaurant today, so I may have to cut it a bit short." Delia told him.

"Oh, its fine," To Ash, that was a little disappointing, "It only matters if I see you at all there."

"I will, don't worry about that," Delia assured him, with a real smile this time.

With that, Ash made his way to the famed Professor's lab was.

To his start as a Pokémon Trainer.

**X**

'**Master, I believe we have made **_**another**_** wrong turn,**' Lucario was getting sick of this. Riley shouldn't of been _this_ bad at following a map. '**Let me see that map.**'

Riley sighed. It wasn't _his _fault. Why was Viridian forest so hard to navigate? Its like the forest _wanted _them to get lost. Giving the map to Lucario, he waited to see what the Pokémon said.

'**Master...**' Lucario began, '**This is a map of Santalune Forest in Kalos, not Viridian Forest.**'

Riley really wished he hadn't bought the map from the crazy guy selling rocks at Pewter City.

**X**

Ash walked up to the hill that held the famed Professor Oak's lab. It was there that he would begin his Journey. There he would begin his quest to find his father. There he would find the beginning of his quest as a Pokémon Master.

And there, he would find his _least_ favorite Oak, Gary.

Driving a red _mercedes_ of all things. How did he get his license when _Ash _didn't? He wasn't _that _bad at driving. Not that he had much use for a car on the road.

Probably begging his Grandfather for one.

"Hey _Ashy-Boy_," Oak began, using his degrading nickname for him again, "Finally showed up, eh? I thought you would chicken out!"

"Say that name again, and I _won't _refrain from punching you in the face," and with that, Ash made his way into Samuel Oak's Lab, ignoring Gary, who sent a glare to him.

One of Oak's Aides noticed him, "Right this way, Ash," The Aide said, and led him into a room that had a circular table in the middle. This table held 2 Pokéballs, containing 2 of the starter Pokémon that Oak had left. Gary must've took the other one. That also meant that the other trainer either hadn't made it, or was late.

Gary was one of the people Ash hated the most. He acted like he should own _everything._ And he expected to get it, too.

Samuel Oak finally walked in.

"Hello Ash, welcome to my lab," Oak began "I have two Pokéballs here, one of the Pokémon inside will travel with you on your journey."

He walked over and grabbed the two Pokéballs.

"This one," Oak held up the left Pokéball, "Is the Fire-type, Charmander. It is a stubborn natured Pokémon, but have incredible strength."

Oak held up the right Pokéball. "This one contains a Grass-type, Bulbasaur. It is easy to raise, and amazingly loyal."

Ash looked at the two Pokéballs, studying them.

"So Ash, which one will you choose?" Oak asked.

Ash had made the choice long ago.

"I choose…

**X**

**ZOMG CLIFFHANGER! Also, just so you know, I made this chapter right away when I read that review of yours, Soof49. It filled me with excitement to hear some criticism for once, and I made sure to proofread it at least 3 times. And no, it did not sound condescending :D**

**EDITED: 11/26/14**


	3. Chapter 3

**Back to story! Still don't own Pokémon. Apparently Nintendo doesn't appreciate people breaking in and trying to take the licensing. Oh well. This chapter does contain some light swearing, you have been warned. :)**

**X**

"I choose Charmander," Ash told the Professor.

Oak smiled. "I knew you had your eyes on the fiery tempered Pokémon. Its a great match," Oak said jokingly. "Here, take these. They are Pokéballs to help you catch Pokémon. Also, take this Pokédex. It will help you on your journey."

Ash thanked him and took the gifts. Ash hesitated for a second and hugged the great man. He may have not been related to him, but he had come to see him as a grandfather over the course of his life. He was one of the people he would never forget. He was almost like the father he never had.

"Please, take care Ash. You are destined for great things, and I know you will do good, but please do not do anything to get yourself harmed," Oak pleaded. "Your mother would wring my neck if something happened to you."

That sounded like his mother all right. With eagerness, he set out of the lab and down to his mother's house once again. This would be his last goodbye to his mother, and he wanted to see her one more time.

Ash found his mother at the bottom of the great hill that held Oak's lab.

"I will miss you honey," His mother cried, "Please be careful, I don't know what I would do if something happened to you…"

"You know I will," Ash assured her, "I promise to see you again when I win the Elite Four challenge and become Champion."

"You better," She laughed, "I'd love to see your face when you win."

With that, Ash and Delia Ketchum hugged for the last time in a while. Ash, with a heavy heart, set out on his journey.

**X**

Lucario thought that he and Riley would never get out of Viridian Forest. After countless hours of trudging through the foliage, the Jackal finally saw light.

'**Master, it seems we have finally made it**,' Lucario sighed in relief. '**If I didn't think you were hopeless with directions before, I do now.**'

"Blame the guy selling the map," Riley told his friend, "Who's the one who decided to get a map in the first place?"

'**When I meant a map, I meant one not from a shady guy selling **_**rocks **_**of all things**,' Lucario was getting frustrated. '**And I certainly would not of followed the 'map' anyways, considering it was the _wrong map_**!"

"Lets just drop it," Riley decided. "It looks like its going to rain, we should rest at the Pokécenter for the duration of it."

Lucario couldn't agree more. For a Pokémon, they didn't tire very easily, but walking on leaves and branches for hours on end could tire most Pokémon.

At least he could maybe pull off some pranks on Riley.

Who knows, maybe he'd even get away with it?

**X**

As Ash walked through Route 1, he spotted a lone Pidgey, pecking at the ground for worms. As Quietly as he could manage, he pulled out Charmander's Pokéball and a spare empty Pokéball.

"Charmander, Scratch!"

The poor bird didn't even see it coming.

With a shout, the bird was slashed across the face with Charmander's claws. The bird squawked and shot a gust of wind at Charmander, who held strong against it.

"Quick, use Ember!"

Charmander shot a few embers at Pidgey, who was hurt badly by the attack, even getting burned.

The bird fainted, the burn weakening it greatly. Ash frowned. He didn't want such a low-leveled Pokémon, so he'd catch a different Flying-type.

Ash looked up at the sky, which was starting to get darker and darker.

"Damn, I really need to hurry to Viridian…" He talked to himself.

Ash walked at a much faster pace, hoping to get there before the storm hit. Soon, raindrops began to fall. Cursing, Ash ran ahead as fast as he could, hoping to not get himself _too _drenched.

"I _really_ should've brought an umbrella…"

**X**

"C'mon Lucario, we have to get there fast," Riley yelled to the Pokémon.

'**I am ahead of you, don't yell at me to pick up the pace**," The Lucario yelled back. "**I could've left you in the dust a long time ago**!"

It was this that the two yelled, as they ran for the Pokécenter as fast as they could. Riley had to take care to make sure the egg that he carried would stay dry. Of course, it was much harder to do when it was raining.

As they ran, they saw the big building that was the Pokémon Center. One of the most important buildings that the Pokémon world had. The Pokémon Center was a hospital that cared for Pokémon that suffered from anything, let it be Illnesses, Exhaustion, or injuries. And it was all _free._

"Phew, we made it," Riley cheered as they finally had made it to the Pokécenter. "I thought we would never make it out of that rain."

He then noticed someone was missing.

It was rare that Riley cursed, but losing Lucario was one of the reasons he would.

"And he tells me _I'm_ bad with directions…"

**X**

Ash finally made it out of the Route, only to be stopped by Officer Jenny, who had mistaken him as a Thief. He cleared it up with his Pokédex, which also served as an ID of sorts. He sighed. Viridian always did have high security. It was just an annoyance that she decided to stop him in the rain.

He tiredly made his way to the Pokécenter, not caring that it was pouring down rain. He could wash his clothes and get a warm shower in the Center if he wanted to anyways, and his backpack was water proof.

As he walked into the Center, he was hit with a painful Headache.

"Ugh, w-what is-," He said, before he fell to the ground, eyes shut.

Ash was certain something was going on, he never felt his head hurt worse. It was like he was suffering painful dejavu. Only of _what _he didn't know.

He knew that the person in front of him was kneeling over him, checking to see if he was alright. He could see him, and he was glowing a bright blue against an empty black. Ash wondered how he saw him, through the pain, as his eyes were closed the whole time...

He fell into unconsciousness soon after, not being able to take the pain.

**X**

**Alas, I felt bad for ending on a cliffhanger, and having so short chapters. I hope this makes it up for you who reads my story. Although I guess this is a cliffhanger too...damnit. Oh well. Nice guys finish last. Even if that sentence had nothing to do with it.**

**EDITED: 11/26/14**


	4. Chapter 4

**Writing this a bit in advance, so sorry if I miss your reviews. School… quite frankly it sucks at the moment. You see, I still don't own Pokémon. School won't help me get it, so I have to do it on my own.**

**X**

Riley studied the boy that had walked in. Seeing this boy, he donned a shocked face. He knew this boy. That wasn't the only thing he noticed.

There was another Aura user. One with Aura powerful enough to knock him down by just walking in. When someone with a naturally powerful Aura met someone else their Aura would clash for a split second, usually knocking the two back. Riley had it happen the first time he was met his Teacher, although that only gave him a minor headache at the time. The boy wasn't so lucky.

The kid was knocked out cold by the force of which they responded. The boy probably hadn't ever interacted with one like him before.

The young man that had entered was still unconscious, laying on the ground. Frowning, he asked the kind nurse at the front desk for a room with two beds. The Nurse having been worried for them when they had collapsed. She seemed to be worried if he could

"Are you sure you don't need any help with the young man?" Nurse Joy asked. "It would be no problem for Chansey and I to bring him to the room on a stretcher."

"I am sure, it will be no trouble of mine to carry him," Riley explained, a million questions running through his head. Mainly of how he had not picked up on his Aura signature before, if the kid was also in Viridian. "Thank you for your offer, at least."

Nurse Joy nodded. It seemed the man had it under control. She watched as he took the key from her outstretched hand and walked away, carrying the boy in his arms. It was almost as if the man didn't even strain when he carried him. That was strange.

**X**

Riley was happy. Aura was a lost art, declining since the fall of Sir Aaron all those years ago.

He shook his head. He still needed to find Lucario. Then he could think all he wanted.

Setting the still unconscious boy on one of the beds, he reached out with his Aura, activating his Aura sight, trying to find Lucario's Aura read and ignoring the boy's powerful shine on the bed. He was pressed not to stare at it, it was quite powerful, and very bright.

To his surprise, however, he found Lucario's form directly behind him.

'**Miss me, Master**?' Lucario laughed. '**Bet you forgot about teaching me Extreme Speed**.'

"And how did you manage to get into the room," Riley asked, staring at the Pokémon. "I wouldn't want to think of you breaking in, that is unlike you."

'**I just opened the window, don't accuse me of things**,' Lucario said. '**I just followed your signature from outside**.'

"If you were ahead of me, how did you follow me in the first place?" Riley asked, an eyebrow raised. "I doubt you were waiting outside the whole time."

'**I had a talk with the injured Pokémon here**," Lucario

'**Master, who is this child**,"Lucario asked, staring at the boy, who was just starting to wake up.

"This boy is one with an incredible Aura," Riley said, smiling. "One much more powerful than yours and mine combined. It is incredible."

'**I can feel that, Master, but what are we going to do with him**?'

"Thats a question that I will leave with him," Riley began. "If he is willing, I will take him with us to train under our Teacher."

Lucario nodded. This one's Aura was too great to be left alone.

'**And if he is not**?' Lucario asked.

"It is his choice if he wants to or not." Riley responded. "We will not force him to do something he doesn't want."

Lucario noticed Riley glance at the boy, almost longingly. Lucario could feel the emotions in Riley, Happiness, Regret, and a bit of sadness. '**Master, why is this child causing these emotions in you**?' Lucario asked.

"Lucario, I have met this boy before," Riley began. "Although, the memories it brings up are painful."

'**I do not understand**,' Lucario stared at Riley. '**You have never told me of knowing this boy**.'

"I didn't want to, I guess. I never had the intention to tell anyone of this," Riley said, stealing another glance at the boy.

'**If this boy caused the Regret and Sadness you expressed**,' Lucario said, noticing he glance. '**Then why does it seem that you care much for the boy**?'

"Why do I care for him? I can't really answer that truthfully. I guess it comes from the fact that I never did before." Riley said, closing his eyes. Lucario could have sworn he saw unshed tears in his eyes.

"Lucario, I am this boy's father, no matter how hard it is to say that. I never truly deserved the title of 'Father'."

**X**

**Betcha didn't see that coming! :D For those that ask, Delia and Riley were never married. Delia had her last name of Ketchum, and she gave that name to Ash, while Riley had his last name of Gen.**

**Sorry that this chapter took a while. I had a school project, along with a 1500 word history report. Although compared to this story, thats nothing. or maybe something. I haven't actually **_**had **_**a chapter over 1500 words... Shut up me.**

**EDITED: 11/26/14**


	5. Chapter 5

**So uh...yeah. I was a bit absent. No biggie, right...? Right? Yeah, lets just get this on the road. I...have no excuse. I was just lazy. So yeah...no biggie? Some swearing in this too, although much less light and more dark.**

**Disclaimer: I has none of rights to the Pokémons. So don't sue me bro.**

**x**

"Lucario...I was not always the same man you knew me to be, before. I wasn't always the kind man you see now," Riley said in sadness.

'**Master**,' Lucario began. '**I do not understand, I have known you for 14 years, and I have never heard of you being a father. I am confused, quite frankly**.'

"Its complicated, Lucario. I will tell you of this later, Ash is coming to." Riley looked at the awakening boy with a sad smile. Many times had he dreamed of seeing his son. He just had not imagined it to be in Viridian City. He only wished he could have seen him grow up...

The reason Ash's Aura was much more powerful, he did not know. He hadn't ever met someone with that much Aura. His own son, even.

Ash had woken up enough to sit himself up. The boy looked around before spotting Riley and Lucario. He raised his eyebrow and narrowed his eyes. Where was he, and why were this guy and his Pokémon here? Who was that Pokémon?

"Where am I?" He asked. "And where are my Pokémon?"

"Do not worry about your Pokémon, they are with Nurse Joy. I gave the Pokéball to her when you fainted. This is the Pokécenter in Viridian City. Any more questions?" Riley answered.

"Yeah, who are you?" Ash questioned.

"Don't worry, I will not cause harm to you. I am Riley Gen, and this is Lucario, My partner."

Lucario nodded and bowed. He didn't bother with Aura Speech. Only an Adept in Aura could hope to decipher the pattern anyways. Maybe the boy would go with them and he could learn how. He needed others to talk to anyways. Pokémon were for the most part boring, Humans were interesting. Having only Reiki and Riley to talk to got quite boring.

"Then what am I doing here? I only remember walking into the Pokémon." Ash was confused. Why this stranger put him here?

"I will answer that in due time. What I would like to know is your name," Riley asked. Of course, he already knew the boy's name.

"Ash Ketchum. I would like to say that it was nice to meet you, but I would have prefered to meet on better terms than me waking up in your room," And with that, Ash made to leave.

"Have you ever heard about...Aura?" Riley asked suddenly, his eyes following Ash's movements.

"Never," Ash was making his answers as short as possible. He was annoyed, and would like to get his Pokémon and leave. He had to make up for lost time. That, and he kind of missed Charmander.

"It is a forgotten art, almost completely instinct, but few have managed to be born with the ability to manipulate it," Riley began. "I, Riley Gen, have been lucky enough to be born with it. Lucario, in general, have the ability to use it at will, and well. Lucario are usually drawn to people with large and powerful Auras. Of the few people who can control Aura, which are called Aura Users, they all have or had Lucario partners."

"This is interesting and all, but please get to the point," Ash was losing his patience. Didn't this man see he had things to do? Getting Charmander and heading to Pewter to get to training were the only things he had in mind at the moment. _Man _Gary must've been incredibly ahead of him now, and _that _made him more inclined to leave. Not to mention angry.

"Ash, you are one of the few who can control Aura," It was amusing to see Ash's eyes go wide. He had apparently not expected this.

"And if you are willing, I am to train you in the art of it. Aura, also known as Nature's energy, is a thing that is not learned by knowledge, but by training," Riley could see that Ash was in deep thought. He also noticed a large dark red circle of Aura. _That _was a very, very bad thing. It was a good thing Riley had a lot of self control. He could've gasped out loud if he didn't. The dark red Aura was near the core of his body, the heart. That was the worst place possible for it to be. Dark Aura either meant he had severe traumatic experiences, or he was incredibly mad.

He'd liked to think it was the latter. Anger he could deal with, Traumatic experiences he couldn't. He knew it was stupid to hope, although. He already had a solid guess of what the evil Aura's cause was. And that had only made him sadder and more furious in himself.

**X**

After much thinking, Ash had finally come up with an answer. He got his Charmander's Pokéball back from Nurse Joy earlier, being told that she was happy he was fine, and that his Charmander was also fine.

"I'll do it, if it is as important as you make it sound to be," Ash said.

"A wise decision, and it is of great importance. Aura is not a common thing, and losing one User would be devastating," Riley had smiled upon seeing his son nod in understanding. He knew it was selfish, but a large reason for wanting him to come was to see him again. He only had a few memories of back then, little glimpses of a baby with black hairs smiling and giggling. Of course, he didn't care for his own baby back then, and he hated himself for it. But as he thought of the good memories, unwanted ones came up too. He shook his head. He had to stop doing this. Tuning out his memories, he turned to Ash once more.

"I may not be as skilled as my own Teacher, but I will show you one of the most basic of techniques an Aura User can utilize, Aura Sight,"

Ash nodded, and followed the instructions of which he had been given.

Close his eyes, and guide center his Aura to his eyes.

Of course, while Ash had an abnormally large amount of Aura, tapping into it was a hardship every User had to learn how to do. It was difficult for some, and easy for others.

Ash didn't care how long it took, he would do this. If there was anything Ash Satoshi Ketchum was known for, it was his determination. (And his appetite)

So he steeled himself for more attempts, knowing that even though he was determined, that would get him nowhere if he let himself get distracted.

This time, he felt it. He was almost there! But, even when he didn't want them to, memories of the journal haunted him. Those heart wrenching tales of his mother. He lost the feeling.

"You shouldn't let your emotions get in the way. Control them, you are not to give in to them. Curb them," Riley instructed.

Ash breathed deeply again. He wouldn't let petty emotions get in the way of achieving his goal.

It may have been Riley's Imagination, but he swore he saw the dark Aura flicker a bit before returning to the same dark red. He smiled. The anger he held was dying down a bit, although he knew this was only temporary.

He hoped by the end of his training, the dark Aura would disappear. It may have been wishful thinking, although. Dark Auras aren't so easily destroyed. If they got too powerful, it might not even _be _possible to destroy it. But he pushed those thought out of his head, and turned his focus to Ash.

So Riley watched as Ash tried again, again, and again.

Ash knew he had let emotions get carried away, and that was the reason he couldn't do it. But he had let emotions get in the way all his life. So, he pushed passed the anger for his father, and tried once more.

This time, he could _feel _the Aura in his eyes. And he kept it, too.

He could see _every thing_. He could see the walls, floor, and ceiling. They all looked misty black. He was almost annoyed. This is what he tried to do? See in all black, that only made it harder to see? But when he looked at Riley and Lucario, whose form was standing next to Riley, he realized that was not all there was to Aura sight. They glowed a misty bright blue. He realized he had done it. He had achieved Aura Sight!

Riley was amazed. They had only been attempting this for close to a few hours, and yet he had already done it. What had taken him weeks, Ash had done in a matter of hours. He mentally smiled. It looked like his son would be a great student after all. That is, if he learned as fast as he did then.

Their celebration was cut off when something in the main foyer exploded.

**X**

"You better hand over those Pokéballs if you don't want some trouble!" The woman yelled to Nurse Joy, who looked scared.

"And on the double!" The man yelled. "We don't got all day here!"

Ash and Riley ran into the main room, only to see two people dressed in black clothing demanding that Joy give them all of the Pokémon. Of course, they wouldn't allow that.

"Charmander, scratch now," Ash yelled as Charmander visualized from his Pokéball. The red Pokémon ran up to the counter and jumped off of it to scratch the male in the face. The man held his face in pain as the lizard jumped past him back to Ash.

"Damnit! That stings! Go, Koffing," The man threw out a Pokéball while holding his face with a gloved hand, which in turn released a Koffing. "Poison gas on that damned lizard! Poison them all!"

"Dodge the cloud and ember," Ash _really _did not want his Pokémon poisoned right now, that would make an already unfair fight into a massacre. He didn't know how some Pokémon could fight through having Poison in them. It would make the weak lizard slow and damaged over time as it set in.

The fire Pokémon sidestepped the slow moving cloud, and shot some fire at the Koffing, damaging it some.

Unfortunately for Ash, the woman decided to step up and release her Pokémon too, which was an Ekans. "Bite that weak Lizard now! Destroy it!" She demanded, as the Ekans hissed and ran up to bite Charmander, which it did, on its arm. Charmander used his other arm to scratch it in its face, trying to get it off.

"Smokescreen," The man commanded his Koffing. Suddenly, Koffing began pouring smoke from its pores, making it incredibly hard to see. Although Ekans could use its tongue to find Charmander, Koffing was just as lost as if it were the one who was trapped. That man wasn't very smart, it seemed.

"Ash, your Aura Sight," Riley said behind him. He had almost forgot he was there. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He was surprised to find that he was almost effortlessly able to do it this time. He located the Koffing and Ekans and ordered a ember, pointing to where it was. The Charmander nodded, and shot fire at where Ash located the Ekans.

Although, ordering a fire attack in a place filled with smoke was _probably_ a bad idea in hindsight. The smoke exploded, and miraculously only sent the two thugs out of the ceiling, probably landing painfully somewhere far away.

"Serves those damn thugs right. What's for dinner?"

**X**

**So I didn't get carried away. How you might ask? I reworked this chapter a bit, I realized making Riley's story so early is a bad thing. I hope this is a better read, I also tried to make it longer.**

**EDITED: 11/26/14**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'll save my excuses for the bottom AN.**

**Don't own Pokémon. I **_**do **_**own a empty carton of ice cream I just ate before writing.**

**X**

After taking care of the two pitiful criminals and having dinner, Ash bid Riley a good night, opting to taking a walk outside for a bit. The ground was still damp from the rain they had experienced earlier, so he decided to keep Charmander in his ball. Ash was in a thoughtful mood at the moment, anyways.

Ash thought about all the things that had happened to him that day. It was quite the start.

Ash continued walking in the night, hands in his pockets. There were few people out, only some gave him a glance as he walked by. Occasionally, he'd close his eyes and look through the world through Aura. It was truly breath-taking. The small Pokémon scurrying about, or the people were glowing in a light blue.

Of course, using this, he couldn't see inanimate objects, and after tripping on a rock, he decided to stop using Aura Sight for the time being. He'd have to ask on how to go about getting around that.

After around a good while of walking around and enjoying what Viridian had to offer, Ash returned to the Center, hoping to get some rest. Nurse Joy wasn't at the counter, probably sleeping. It _was _pretty late after all.

Walking into the hall that led into the Trainer rooms, he put in the spare key to the door for the room that Riley and his companion slept in. He walked in and sat in one of the empty beds, setting his backpack against the foot of the bed.

He was just asleep, as the egg that was unnoticed by Ash at the end of the bed he was sleeping on, began glowing a bright blue. He also didn't notice the small Pokémon that emerged from said egg curled up on his side.

**X**

The next morning was a little odd for Ash. He woke up to a bit of a surprise, having a happy little blue Pokémon attached to his face.

"Ri!" The Pokémon cried, on seeing the boy awake.

Ash's _slightly _girly scream woke both Riley and Lucario. Lucario jumped off the end of Riley's Bed, quickly scanning his surroundings, and realising there was no danger, relaxed with an amused chuckle.

"Don't just stand there," Ash yelled with Riolu still clinging to his face. "Help me!"

The commotion woke up Riley, and he also quickly jumped out of bed. He looked at Ash with a shocked face. He noticed the empty incubator on the end of the bed, and realized what had happened. The egg had hatched, and most likely saw Ash. Newborn Pokémon imprinted on whoever they saw first after hatching, and that person happened to be Ash.

"I ah...see you are having problems there, Ash," Riley muttered. "Are you in need of assistance?"

"_No, I'm completely fine with having something crushing my face!_" Ash replied harshly.

"Alright, if you're fine then," Riley said. "Hey Lucario, what's for breakfast?"

"For the love of- Help me dammit!" Ash yelled. "Get it off of me!"

Riley finally gave in and pried the newly hatched Pokémon off of Ash's face. The Riolu whined and struggled in Riley's arms. Ash rubbed his face, getting out of bed.

"_Why _did that happen?" Ash asked. "I don't remember opening the door for any stray Pokémon last night."

"Well, that egg that I had at the end of the bed you slept in may have been a clue," Riley began, smirking. "Looks like the egg hatched and the Pokémon imprinted on you."

Ash frowned. "And what do I do now? Have a baby Pokémon attached to my face at all times?"

"Car, Lucario." Lucario barked(?).

"Thats right, according to this little Riolu," Riley held up the still struggling and whining Riolu. "_You _are its Mother. Or Father, I guess. A parental figure."

"Why does this always happen to me," Ash muttered. "Why did it imprint on _me_? I wasn't the only person in the room."

"You were most likely the one it saw first after it hatched," Riley replied. "Newborn Pokémon come to see whoever they look upon first when they hatch as their Parental figure."

"So what do I do now," Ash said after a moment. "Capture it?"

"Well, seeing as it imprinted on you, I believe that would be a good idea," Riley replied. "Guess Samuel will have to wait on doing that research. I will have to send him an egg another time."

Ash didn't hear that last part, as Riley muttered it, instead opting to grab an empty Pokéball and his Pokédex. Flipping it open, he scanned the small blue Pokémon.

**Riolu**

**Emanation Pokémon**

**This Pokémon has the peculiar power of being able to see emotions such as joy and rage in the form of waves.**

**This Pokémon knows is male and knows the moves: Foresight, Endure, Quick Attack, and Detect.**

Ash flipped the Pokédex shut and stared at the Riolu. He held up the Pokéball to it, still struggling in Riley's arms. The Emanation Pokémon stared at the sphere for a moment before giving a happy cry, then it lept out of Riley's arms and tapped the button on the front with its arm. He didn't know how it knew how to do that.

The Pokéball dinged a successful capture, and Ash stared at it in his hands.

"Looks like Charmander has a new friend."

**X**

After informing Samuel that the research he wanted to do on Riolu would be a _little _late, the two travelers set off to Vermillion, where they would board a ferry to Sinnoh. Then they would set off to Canalave City, where they would _then _board _another _ferry to Iron Island. It was a far away area.

Well, this was going to be quite the journey…

Ash set off towards the Pokémart, hoping to pick up supplies for the road ahead. He had around 3000$ saved up, so he would be able to buy a few Potions or Pokéballs.

After shopping around, Ash had bought 3 Antidotes, 5 Potions, and 3 Pokéballs. He still had 800$ saved, for emergencies. He met up with RIley back at the Pokécenter, who was waiting for him to get back.

Riley grinned when he saw him enter through the sliding glass doors, standing up and greeting him.

"You ready, Ash?" Riley greeted him. "Theres a long road ahead of us."

"I'm ready, lets go. We have a lot of walking to do. Standing here is going to get us nowhere."

"Indeed, it is not."

**X**

**So...excuses? I was uh...busy? That excuse isn't enough?! Damn...I uh **_**maybe **_**broke my computer...and didn't fix it for awhile… Sorry?**

**Well, **_**hopefully **_**this won't become a regular occurrence. Oh well, at least I eventually got it fixed. Better than not fixed at all.**

**Anyways, since I have been watching a bit of **_**Naruto **_**I think I will include some concepts of Chakra for Aura. That'll at least help me come up with some cool uses of Aura.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I will **_**very **_**much appreciate it if you reviewed! I will answer any questions you guys have in the bottom AN! Have a nice day, and a Nice Thanksgiving! SSF Out!**

**EDITED: 11/26/14 [LOOKING FOR ANYONE WILLING TO BE A BETA READER FOR ME, PM ME!]**


	7. Chapter 7

**Big thanks to Soof49 for being my new beta reader! 3 cheers for you!**

_**Cheer!**_

_**Cheer!**_

_**Cheer!**_

**Yay!**

**I do not own the Pokémon franchise. **

**X**

The trio of travelers continued on to the first obstacle in their journey, Viridian Forest. The place was chock full of bugs, and as Riley and Lucario set up a small camp, Ash ventured out for some training with his Pokémon.

He not only bought supplies from the mart, but two sets of training weights for his Charmander, and any Pokémon he might happen to catch on the way.

Ash finished getting his Pokémon set up in the weights, and told it to run laps around the camp. The weights would be holding it down; it would not only increase its Stamina, but its speed as well. He watched as the small but determined Pokémon ran laps, noticing that it tired quickly. That didn't deter it, however, as even though it looked very exhausted, it continued to run.

Ash smiled. He knew he hadn't made the wrong decision for his starter. He called it over, and it walked towards him, looking very tired. He grinned at it, offering it some Pokéfood that he had packed with him before leaving. The fire lizard happily accepted, eating out of a bowl he had with him.

"I knew I had picked the right choice," Ash said, looking at the Pokémon. "You're a determined little guy."

Charmander gave a happy cry, obviously glad that his Trainer liked him.

Ash decided to let his newest edition to the team out. He hadn't called it out when he had given Charmander the weights, thinking that the Pokémon was too young to begin training so soon. The Pokéball popped open and let the eager Riolu out, who gave a joyful cry as it hugged its new trainer. Ash smiled and held it with one arm. It soon noticed the red Pokémon looking at it strangely.

Riolu jumped off of Ash, walking on clumsy legs over to the lizard. Charmander looked at it oddly before greeting it in its language. The Riolu responded back, happy to meet a new friend.

Ash smiled at the two interacting, before Riley, who had been quietly chatting with Lucario, came over and began to talk to him.

"Have you ever thought of giving those two a name?" Riley asked. "It is said to increase friendship with their Trainers."

Ash shook his head. "Never thought about it, sounds like a good idea though."

Ash stared at the two Pokémon, and called them over by their species name. He never thought about it, but calling them by their species name was like calling someone "Human" instead of a name. He looked at the two, and thought of some nicknames.

"Charmander, I will call you Kasai, or Kai for short," Ash decided, smiling as the Pokémon gave a happy cry. He looked to Riolu, and drew a blank. "Riolu, I'm sorry but I can't think of a name at the moment."

Riolu looked a bit disappointed, but still gave a happy cry when Ash petted it on the head.

Riley smiled at the scene, and began to make dinner for all of them. They had been walking through the forest all day, and he was tired of it. He knew his way around the forest much better than before, now that he had traveled through it. Meanwhile, Lucario had been meditating after their discussion on the quickest rate to Vermillion City, and they had decided to venture through the Diglett Cave to get there.

Riley started the fire, setting up sticks so that he could hang a pot over the fire with some rope. He began to make the soup they would have for their meal.

Riley was never the greatest cook, but making soup was so simple even he couldn't mess it up.

**X**

Ash had recalled his Pokémon and set off for a bit of exploring while dinner was being made. Riley had made sure to tell him to use his Aura sight to find their specific Auras, should he get lost. He was hoping to catch a bug type to add to his team.

After looking around for a suitable Pokémon to catch, he came across one that looked like a giant mantis drinking from a river. He scanned it with his Pokédex, making sure to lower the volume so that it didn't startle the Pokémon.

**Scyther**

**Mantis Pokémon**

**Bug/Flying Type**

**It tears and shreds prey with its wickedly sharp scythes. It very rarely spreads its wings to fly.**

**This Pokémon is wild, and has a danger rating of 3 out of 5 stars. Please use caution when dealing with this Pokémon**

A danger rating of 3 was probably a little too much to handle for Ash and his Pokémon, but he wouldn't let this Pokémon slip away from him. He sent out Charmander, quickly ordering an Ember attack.

The Scyther was caught off guard, and the flames hit it directly. It hissed in pain, and turned to face Charmander and its trainer. It narrowed its eyes and raised its Scythes threateningly. Charmander and Ash weren't deterred, however, and Ash ordered another Ember, knowing it was weak to fire attacks.

The Scyther jumped to the side and avoided the flames. It almost seemed like it was taunting him, and Ash didn't like it. So while he ordered another Ember, he picked up a rock and chucked it at the Mantis Pokémon as it dodged to the side. It was a direct hit to the face, and it was dazed for a few moments. Ash used that to his advantage, calling for another Ember.

The flames knocked the weak Pokémon out cold, and Ash grabbed an empty Pokéball from his his belt. Enlarging it, he threw it at the fainted Pokémon. It rolled on its sides for a moment as the Pokémon fought to escape, but ultimately it was too weak, and the Pokémon dinged a successful capture.

Ash grinned and picked up the Pokéball, putting it on his belt. Pokéballs had magnets on the back, and they stuck to the belt as it has 6 metal plates on the side. It was handy for any Trainer, but some still stuck to keeping Pokéballs in their Pockets.

Ash gave Charmander some words of praise before returning the lizard into its Pokéball. Ash smiled. He now had 3 Pokémon, two of them exceptionally rare. Riolu were more native to the mountains of Sinnoh, so having on in Kanto was very rare. Scyther were usually only found in the Safari Zone, in Fuchsia City, which was very far away. Yes, Ash was happy with his new Bug Pokémon.

Now to get out of this damn forest.

**X**

After enjoying their dinner of soup, Ash and Riley made to sleep. When Ash returned, Riley noticed the grin on Ash's face as well as the new Pokéball on his belt. It wasn't rocket science to figure out that Ash had caught a new Pokémon.

When asked what this new Pokémon was, Ash happily responded, and Riley was surprised to hear that Ash had caught a Scyther in the Viridian Forest. They weren't commonly found in Viridian Forest, so it was a good find. Riley smiled at Ash's sleeping form. It wasn't often that he saw Ash so happy.

Of course, he was probably the reason for that. He wasn't exactly there to help him grow up. Riley scowled, a rare expression for him. He hoped to make it up to Ash someday. He would tell Ash that he was his Father. He just didn't know when. He didn't know if he was ready.

Or, Riley thought, it was himself that wasn't ready.

**X**

**Yay new update! Yay, New Beta Reader! Thanks to Soof49 again! Review please! Seriously, this Fanfic has like 1k views. If every one of them reviewed, this fic would have more than most stories on the Pokémon archive. Reviewing will help me become a better writer, and I love o hear people's feedback!**

**Reviews:**

**Guest - I will try to make my chapters longer, and I hope to make sure I make less mistakes when writing!**

**Twilight-Lloyd - I agree, and your Review, even though its small, helped me to come up with some more ideas on Aura, thank you!**

**RonnyBrave the Breadghost - I am glad that you have read all of my chapters! I will strive to make sure I better my grammar and I have redone some parts of chapters 1-6 because of your review! Thank you! I will try to take your advice into consideration and become a better writer.**

**A Furry Cat - Thank you for loving my story! It means a lot to me, honestly!**

**thor94 - I like your Review lol, and Don't worry, I am planning on making the reveal as dramatic as I can!**

**Thanks to all that have Reviewed, and take care!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hullo there! It is I, SuperSmasher4Ever! Welcome to another chapter of Give Little, Gain Much! I tried to make this chapter longer, as you can see, hope you enjoy!**

**I don't own Pokémon. **

**Thanks to my Beta Reader: Soof49!**

**X**

The rest of the journey through Viridian Forest was mostly uneventful. Only at one point did Kai disturb a Beedrill's nest, which led to a impromptu race against flying insects. They eventually got away, driving the Beedrill back with a stick on fire, and they did not like the smoke.

Ash eyed the man next to the gate that led into Pewter City.

They were quick to pass him. Riley glared at the man as they passed, as Riley recognized him as the one who sold them the wrong map. Riley's eye twitched as he swore he saw the man grin a bit in as he passed. He looked away away from the man as he looked to Ash.

"Are you interested in challenging the gym here?" Riley asked suddenly.

Ash shifted his eyes before shaking his head. "Kai is too weak to go up against a bunch of rock types," Ash responded. "Riolu is far too young, and Scyther has a major weakness to rock types. It would not be a smart idea." '_Besides, I have too much to deal with already than going around collecting pins anyways.'_

"You might want to catch a water Pokémon," Riley said, looking at the Gym as they passed by. "Cerulean is where we are heading next, and they have very good fishing spots, so you could catch one while we rest there."

Ash nodded. He glanced to Riley. "I think I will explore the town a bit, I'll catch up with you at the Pokémon Center." He muttered before walking off in a random direction.

Riley watched him go. He turned to Lucario, "Let us explore a bit of our own." Lucario nodded and smiled, the corner of his lips turning up.

Riley and his companion walked to the north side of the town, where the Pewter Museum was located. Riley paid the admission fee at the front desk, and they walked into the exhibit. Riley shifted his eyes to the glass casings and studied the fossils of the extinct Pokémon: Kabuto, Kabutops, Omanyte, Omastar, and Aerodactly. It was said on the sign that Omanyte and Omastar became extinct because their shell was too heavy to move, and they all died out of starvation. It was unknown how Aerodactly and the Kabuto line had died out.

Riley looked at some of the other exhibits, as Lucario walked off to see them on his own. The Lucario looked around, and spotted a staircase. He climbed up and his eyes were drawn to the large spaceship at the far right of the room. Lucario had never seen a space ship before, and he interestedly looked at the sign. He'd have to ask Riley about space travel later. Maybe one day they could go to Hoenn. He heard there was a Space Station in Mossdeep City somewhere.

Lucario smirked. He knew where to go for his next vacation.

**X**

Ash wandered aimlessly around the streets of Pewter, his happy Riolu on his shoulders. He decided to let the Pokémon out for a bit of exercise, as he heard baby Pokémon needed their muscles to develop. Of course, that wasn't going to happen if it rode his shoulders all day. Lazy Pokémon.

Ash was bored. There didn't seem to be anything happening. The city of stone was as _boring _as stone. He went out to Route 2, just to see if he could get a battle or two. just because he couldn't find anything to do in the city didn't mean he'd have to actually stay there.

'"Hey!" Ash turned to face the young trainer behind him. "Are you up for a battle?"

Ash nodded walked back a bit, to give their Pokémon some room for the battle before selecting his Pokéball and throwing it out. Kai appeared with a growl. The other trainer looked at or a second before throwing out a Pokéball that released a Rattata.

Ash let the boy have the first move, and the youngster eagerly took to the offense.

"Quick Attack!" The Rattata ran as fast as it could at Kai, who spat smoke from his mouth in preparation.

"Dodge," Ash ordered, and Kai immediately jumped to the side. The Rat hit one of the trees behind Ash, as it couldn't slow down enough in time.

"Ember," Kai obeyed and ran at the Rattata who looked a bit dazed as the lizard descended on it, Kai's mouth glowing red. The Rattata was knocked out when the embers hit it.

The youngster returned his Pokémon and handed Ash the prize money, leaving quickly. Ash put the money in his pocket and returned Kai. He glanced around for any more trainers. He walked over to a few who looked like young trainers.

"You up for a battle, kid?" One who looked a bit older asked.

Ash nodded.

"How many badges you got?" He sized Ash up with his eyes.

"Zero."

"Well, wouldn't to face us then, we all have at least 5, and probably much for you to handle." He gestured to the group around.

Ash nodded and went to leave, and the older guy stopped him.

"Doesn't mean we ain't going to battle you, you look to be a strong one," The man chuckled. "Don't expect an easy fight."

Ash grinned.

The man, who revealed his name to be Chris, and Ash walked over to the clearing from before. Ash reached his hand to his newest Pokéball, Scyther's.

"Alright kid, let's see what you make of this!" Chris shouted to him as he pulled out his own Pokéball.

A large grey dog-like creature appeared from it. It had black hair lining its body and sharp fangs. Ash threw out Scyther's ball. One of the group Chris was in came over to referee the match.

"On three, you may begin," The ref started. "One, two, three!"

"Mightyena, bite attack!" The dog, Mightyena, growled in response and sprinted over to where Scyther was located. Its sharp fangs glinted in the sunlight as it jumped.

"Quick attack, dodge out of there," Scyther disappeared in a flash of white. Migtyena kept going and crashed into the ground. "Fury Cutter, now."

Scyther raised its scythes and slashed at Mightyena, which was still laying on the ground. The attack left gashes on the side of its body. Chris called out some more commands, but Ash wasn't listening to them.

"Keep going, Fury Cutter!" This time the attack seemed to go much faster and hit much harder than before. Mightyena was yelping as it got hit. Finally, a swipe to the front leg and it fell unconscious. There were many bloody cuts on it.

Chris recalled it, before walking over to Ash's side of the field. "Damn kid that was brutal. I got my ass handed to me. I guess I should train her up a bit more," Chris rubbed the back of his head. "She is kinda new on the team. I got her from Hoenn."

Ash nodded. He shook Chris' hand when he held it out to him, and started towards the road back to Pewter City.

**X**

Riley and Lucario had finished their tour of the Museum, and had returned to the Pokémon Center, waiting patiently for Ash to show up. They had asked the Nurse Joy for a room key, and they had set all their belongings in the room. They had just finished when Ash entered the Pokécenter. He looked a bit tired, although that might have been boredom.

It was official, Pewter City, the city of rocks, was _as _boring as rocks.

Sure, they had things like the Museum and the Gym, but for someone who wasn't interested in Museums or Gyms, the city was dull. There nothing for ordinary citizens to do.

So Ash and Riley had dinner in the Center, and Ash went to the room to sleep. Riley and Lucario stayed up to talk after watching him go.

'**Master, what is the reason you left**?' Lucario questioned. He had been wanting to ask since Viridian. '**You were very secretive back there, in Viridian. I'd like to know more about it**.'

Riley sighed. "I once knew this lovely girl, Delia Ketchum. She was beautiful, and I loved her with all my heart," Riley began. "But I was less than perfect. I was less than normal back then as well."

Lucario thought he saw something shining in Riley's eyes.

"I was always... angry, and it showed. I constantly made life for her and everyone around me hard, even if I didn't want to. I never wanted to see her harmed, but I harmed her anyways." Riley had tears falling down from his face, which Lucario noticed.

'**Master, if this is too hard to talk about, then don't. I do not want to cause pain**." Lucario looked at Riley worriedly.

Riley smiled sadly. "Thank you Lucario. This memory is not a fond one. Unlike when we met."

'**I remember that day well. Even back then**.' Lucario smiled fondly.

_FLASHBACK_

A little Riolu was wandering around the island that was his home. Iron Island was home to many Pokémon, and he was content on the large rugged terrain. He was walking around, greeting some Pokémon as he passed by. He waved his little paw at a couple of Aron and their parents, a Lairon and an Aggron.

Suddenly, he sensed something. As the Emanation Pokémon, the Riolu could detect emotions, and the ones he felt were painful. He ran to the source, finding a man sitting on a rock. He had his face in his hands. The Riolu felt an urge to comfort him.

The man looked at him. "Rii!" Riolu whined in discomfort. He smiled and picked up the Pokémon, and sat it on his knee. The Riolu looked up at him with big blue eyes.

"Whats your name, little one?" The man asked him. Riolu, of course, didn't understand.

"Ri! Riolu!" Riolu barked.

The man smiled. "Hello there Riolu. My name is Riley."

Since that day they had met, Riolu had never stopped following Riley. Eventually, Riley as trained by his teacher, and Riolu by his Lucario. They became partners after they had learned all they could. And they were best friends.

**X**

Riley smiled. He remembered the small blue Pokémon Lucario used to be. It was startling seeing how much he had grown upon evolution. The Pokémon who could fit on his shoulders was now almost taller than him. The little guy had tried to comfort him even before he knew the man.

Riley looked at Lucario. He loved the Pokémon, and would do anything for him. He knew Lucario did too, and their bond was stronger than most people and Pokémon. They would die for each other, for they were such friends. They were almost brothers.

An Aura Guardian usually had one of three Pokémon as their companions, Lucario, Togekiss, or Mienshao. All of those Pokémon were capable of using Aura, although Lucario did it naturally. Lucario were mainly seen as the partners of Guardians, as the legendary Sir Aaron had one as his friend, and were most commonly associated with Aura Guardians.

It was funny, perhaps, that the egg had hatched right next to Ash, who had just begun his training in Aura. It was almost like the Universe was playing a prank, that the newest Aura Guardian would meet his partner so soon. Of course, this meant that Riley had to acquire another Riolu, or Riolu egg for Professor Oak to study. Though, Riolu was probably better off with Ash anyways.

Riley let his thoughts drift back to his son. He had the largest quantity of Aura he had ever seen, it even dwarfed Reiki's aura amount. Ash may have had even more Aura than Sir Aaron. He couldn't know this for sure, although. Sir Aaron was long dead, as he sacrificed his life to stop the War of Hoenn. He knew his son had held a grudge against him as a father. He was most likely the cause for the dark Aura. He hated himself for it.

Riley forced himself to think of something else. He thought of Hoenn, his homeland. Riley was born in Fallarbor Town, and while he had never seen it, he had heard of the Kingdom of Rota. He desired to see it one day, as it was the birthplace of Sir Aaron. Riley held his necklace as he thought of Hoenn. The Necklace was shaped like the patterns on Groudon or Kyogre. Thinking of those two, he remembered about growing up near the time when Team Magma and Team Aqua had fought, releasing the two Legendaries. He remember the painful storm that racked his town. The storm had caused a lot of damage, and the destruction of the contest hall. Despite that, he missed Hoenn, even after all the disasters. He missed his home in Fallarbor, even if it was probably taken up by another's family.

He missed his own family.

**X**

The next morning, Ash and Riley headed out. They traveled the route from Pewter to Mountain Moon. The mountain had a tunnel that was dug out many years ago that led to Cerulean City. They would be going through the tunnel to get to Cerulean, as it was the quickest and safest way through.

Ash had ignored battle requests on the way to the large mountain. Kai had gotten stronger; Ash had him fight many battles with the wild Pokémon and had him exercise with the braces to get the lizard some experience, and had learned Smoke Screen in addition to Flame Burst. Ash didn't bother training Scyther, as the Mantis was far too powerful to be bothered by the wild Pokémon.

There were really no interesting Pokémon on the Route that Ash had wanted to catch. Spearow and Jigglypuff were fairly common, but he didn't want any of those. Spearow were commonly caught, and fairly weak. Their evolution was far more powerful, but he didn't want to waste time on a Spearow. Jigglypuff weren't strong, even after they evolved, so Ash put the thought of catching one out of his mind.

Jigglypuff took Moon Stones to evolve, too. Ash neither had the patience or money to find or buy one. Mountain Moon usually had a few Moon Stones in it, but they were rare, and the route Ash and Riley were taking was the most commonly traveled. So if there _was _one there, someone had most likely picked it up.

Zubat were very common in the mountain, and while very fast, they had little strength. Their final evolved form was one of the fastest Pokémon, and Ash considered catching one. They were Poison and Flying types, one of those he already had. He decided against catching one, as when Kai evolved fully, the little lizard would become a Fire and Flying type. He didn't need 3 flying types, as that would make him easier to beat with rock types. Not to mention Scyther, who had a major disadvantage against them.

Ash and Riley finally reached Mt. Moon, and walked into the entrance of the cave. It was very dark, and Ash had called out Kai to light the way ahead of them. The flame on the Charmander's tail helped light the area. They traveled through the man made tunnels, following the signs that had been placed.

"-a lot of money!" Ash heard a mans voice say as they passed a ladder that led further down. "Who knew these things had them hidden?" He heard a female voice speak.

He was about to go down when Riley stopped him.

"Stay here, and whatever you do, don't follow me." And he jumped down the hole, with Lucario following. The Aura Pokémon felt his emotions, and they were not very...pleasant.

The two Team Rocket grunts were busy pilling up moon stones into a bag. There were little pink Pokémon, Clefairy and Cleffa, hiding in the corner, shivering. Riley felt his anger bubbling up inside of him. He quickly hid in the shadows of the torches that were lighting up the cave, and made his way to the Pokémon. Lucario went the opposite way, towards the grunts. Riley untied the Clefairy, and listened to what it had to say.

"_Please, mister, help us! Bad people took out moon shards! We cannot perform the ceremony without them!" _His aura translated it. He had clenched his fist. He looked at the grunts, who were tying the bags of moon stones up. He jumped up. He wasn't going to let them get away.

The male didn't even know what hit him, until he fell unconscious thanks to a aura covered hand. The female looked at the male rocket, Riley jumping soundlessly back into the shadows.

"James? What the hell is wrong with you! Sleeping on the job will get us even lower in the boss's ranks! Wake up!" She was knocked out a few seconds later thanks to Lucario's bone rush. Riley took the rope they were using to tie up the bags with and tied them together. He gave the bag of moon shards to the Clefairys. They delightedly thanked him profusely before letting him go. They took the duo of Rockets deeper into the cave with them, lifting them together.

Riley pocketed the moon stone the Clefairy had given him as a gift before climbing back up the ladder with Luario, who was silent. Ash didn't ask any questions, but ha a thoughtful look on his face. They started back through the tunnel, and made their way through without another problem. The came out of the other side of the mountain, and walked outside past the route onto Cerulean City.

The trio walked through the city until they came across the Pokémon Center. Riley checked in with Nurse Joy, and had gotten the two a room. Ash accepted the spare key, sliding it into his pocket. His Pokémon were completely fine, and Kai was only somewhat tired. Ash also decided to not challenge the gym. Kai was weak to water types, and Riolu was too young. The Gym in Cerulean only allowed two versus two challenges, giving him more reason to ignore it.

Ash explored Cerulean a bit, checking out the town. It was fairly small, and had a few interesting places to visit. In the town, there was a bike shop, Pokémart, and the Gym. He didn't have use for a bike, as he would be traveling with someone, and he was good on supplies. Ash walked into the Gym, seeing what was going on. There was a lady sitting at a desk on the wall opposite of where he walked in. She looked up at him from the magazine she was reading.

"If you're here for the Show, its already over," she informed him. "If you're here for the Gym, it's down the hall to the right."

Well, he wasn't there for the that, so he walked out of the domed Gym. From what he had been told, there was a shop that rented Fishing Rods to people. He got one and went to the lake north of Cerulean. It seemed like there were quite a few battles going on, but he ignored them. He was here to fish for Pokémon, not battle.

Ash set up his fishing rod in a secluded spot, and pulled his hat over his eyes to block out the sun. While he waited for a bit, he thought about the Pokémon that lived in the waters of Cerulean Cape. The most common were Magikarp, Goldeen, and Tentacool. He didn't think he would want any of those. Magikarp were incredibly powerful as a Gyarados, but they were weak in their first stage, and almost untrainable. Goldeen could only battle in water, and that was a big reason for him not choosing it. Tentacool were the same.

Ash soon noticed a tug on his line, and quickly plucked his fishing rod from the ground and reeled it in. The Pokémon that was on the line looked like a Seahorse, and Ash scanned it with his Pokédex as it stared at him oddly.

**Horsea**

**Seahorse Pokémon**

**Water Type**

**This Pokémon is known to shoot down insects from the water with precise blasts of water.**

**Danger level: 2 out of 5 stars. Be cautios of this Pokémon's ink, as they will release it when frightened. **

Ash smirked. He grabbed Scyther's Pokéball from his waist and sent it out. He ordered a Slash attack, and the poor Horsea stood no chance on dry land, where it could not move. It was quickly knocked out, and hit with a Pokéball soon after. The Seahorse Pokémon was defenseless against the mechanism of the Pokéball, and was captured. Ash picked up the Pokéball from the ground after returning Scyther.

Horsea were great Pokémon, as when they evolved fully, they became one of the fiercest Pokémon known. Kingdra, the Water Dragon type, was a immensly powerful Pokémon in battle. It was capable of taking hits easily, and dealing out a lot of damage. It had little weaknesses, and it could levitate on dry land. Seadra and Kingdra could fight on land as well on water, but Horsea were still stuck in water during battles. They just didn't have the power to do such a thing.

Ash would just have to train it until it evolved, then. A dragon was an amazing addition to anyone's team. Lance of the Elite 4 was known for his usage of Dragon Pokémon, and had once been the Champion of Indigo. They were a force to be reckoned with.

"Hey!" A voice caught his attention. "Did you catch that Horsea over here?" A girl with orange hair and a one piece bathing suit came up to him and asked. When he nodded, she sighed in relief. "It has been causing trouble with the tourist over here. It spayed ink on whoever came near the river." And she left, back to the house in the distance.

Ash sighed. She was rather blunt. Kinda cute though.

**X**

Riley was waiting in the Center, talking to Lucario like always. They seemed to be great friends, and Ash realized he had never really seen Riley and Lucario apart. They seemed to be inseparable. Ash didn't know how Riley could talk to Lucario, but he figured it must have had something to do with Aura. Maybe one day he could communicate to his own Pokémon with Aura.

Ash, Riley and Lucario went together to the kitchen to order dinner. They hadn't really ever eaten outside of the Center, but the meals were free. Ash didn't have that much money, as he had been avoiding battles. Riley didn't seem to mind whatever they ate. After having a meal of Tauros Steak, the teenager and the man went to their rooms to sleep.

"We should be able to make it to Vermillion by dark tomorrow, Ash," Riley said after a moment of sitting on his bed. "The rest of the journey is short, and we've already made it a long way."

Ash nodded and stared at Riley. It was rare they even talked. Ash didn't know why, but it almost seemed like the man avoided talking to him. It didn't matter, he decided. If he was going to teach him Aura, they'd have to interact sooner or later.

**X**

**And thats the end of this 8 page chapter monstrosity. It really didn't take me that long, but I had a whole day to myself and decided to write a very large chapter for you all!**

**Thanks to Soof49, my Beta Reader, and to all you who Review!**

**From last chapter to now, I will include who reviews this story, so please do it. Not only does it make me a better writer, it makes me happy to see feedback on my story!**

**Note from Soof: remember, his name is Kai now.**

**Yes, yes, I need to remember that too.**

**Edited: 11/25/14 [Merry Christmas!]**


	9. In Which the Asshole Appears!

**List of things I am working on currently:**

**Curing my severe laziness**

**Making chapters longer**

**Upping the quality of my story**

**Not being so late with my chapters**

**Putting down Skyrim for long enough to write again**

**I will be spending much more time with this story, as honestly I am just being a lazy ass, and I don't want to have the few people who read my story to have to put up with that. Also, I am writing this on January 1, 2015! Happy New Year's everyone!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Pokémon franchise. If I did, I would make a remake of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl, and make Ash smarter and less dense.**

**Email me at: Super Smasher 4 Ever !**

**X**

The next day saw Ash at the Cerulean Pokémart. He had to replenish his supplies, Potions and some basic medicine for humans. He had no human medicine since he left his town, and while he hadn't gotten sick so far into his journey, he wasn't exactly the most confident in his luck to remain that way. He was no use to anyone sick and weak. Potions between him and Riley were scarce, and many had been consumed by Ash's training.

Kai was coming along nicely, he was even starting to show signs of evolving soon. His scales were becoming a darker shade of red, and had started becoming more aggressive. Riolu was just as energetic as usual, but started training. Ash had put on some of his lightest weights on Riolu, and was building up its muscle. Scyther, while it had a odd body shape, had been given the heaviest weights. It was the strongest of Ash's team, so it needed them.

Horsea was a stubborn Pokémon, and refused to train. Ash had to send Scyther to… _persuade _it to start swimming with the weights on. It was harder to move through the water, and it built up muscle. It also helped the Horsea swim faster. As the only Pokémon that could swim on his team, Ash wanted to make sure it was able to dodge quickly, should he ever have to battle another water type. It still had the habit of spitting ink at him and his Pokémon. More than one training session had ended with Riolu, Ash, or Charmander covered in ink. Scyther was too fast for Horsea to catch, however.

While training, Ash had given the rest of his team names, so Kai wasn't the only one. Scyther was now called Katana, Riolu was called Zabuza, and Horsea was named Tsu. Scyther nodded in appreciation for the name, while Riolu jumped around happily. Horsea merely looked at him with its head tilted, as if it never considered being named.

Ash purchased the Potions and stored them in his bag. He nodded to the lady at the register before walking through the sliding glass door. He had some time to explore, as Riley had taken the time to help some guy named Bill at the North of the town. Lucario was helping the Pokémon Center with healing. He knew how to use Heal Pulse.

He headed to the bridge that Riley had crossed to get to Bill's house. He had heard word from some civilians that there was a sort of challenge for trainers. Only, Ash would meet someone he hoped he wouldn't run into again.

"Yo Ash, haven't given up yet? I expected your ass to turn back around when you got to Pewter!"

Gary Oak.

**X**

Riley looked at the Clefairy waving its arms at him.

"_Hi, I'm a Pokémon!_" It spoke to him. It wasn't unusual for Riley to understand Pokémon, but this one didn't need Aura to be translated.

"_No I'm not, my name is Bill, I'm a Pokémon researcher._" While that explained where the man was, it didn't explain _how _he exactly was a Pokémon. The pictures of him on TV that he had often saw was not one of a Clefairy.

"_One of my experiments went wrong, and now I am like this. I need you to press the button of the computer over on my desk when I am in the machine, if you would please._"

It made its way into the machine, the red door closing behind him. Riley walked over to the old looking computer over on the desk, and used the mouse to click the button under: _Initiate Program._

There was a bit of smoke coming from the machine, and Bill, the _actual _Bill, walked out. Coughing a little, he walked over to Riley.

"Thank you for your help. I was in a bit of a mess there. My assistants would not have discovered me for awhile, as they are off on field work. I figured that I would be able to do some work on my machine over there. Unfortunately, I was unable to turn myself back. I am… terribly short as a Clefairy, not to mention I had no fingers." Bill explained, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

Riley nodded. "I had come to deliver this letter from Professor Rowan of Sinnoh. He told me it was about the discovery of the Fairy type of Kalos." He dug out the Letter from his pocket. Bill accepted it graciously.

"Thank you, this will help me with my research immensely!" Bill said happily. Riley nodded.

"Here, this is a gift for the trouble you went through. I have no need for them," Bill handed Riley two slips of paper. Reading them revealed that they were tickets for a luxury cruise liner in Viridian City.

"They are tickets to the S.S. Anne. It is set to stop in Sinnoh, in Canalave City. I figured it was a perfect gift for you, given you are heading back to Iron Island. I was given two tickets for a friend, but I don't do fancy do's. I believe you can find a use for the second one."

It couldn't have been a more perfect gift for Riley and Ash.

**X**

"Gary." That was all Ash said.

"Good to see you remember me, Ashy-boy," Gary smirked. "I don't suppose you got any better out here. You probably only have 2 Pokémon. I already got 20 kinds, pal!"

Ash clenched his teeth and folded his hands in a fist. "I have 4. I don't need to have 20 Pokémon to be a good trainer."

"Yeah, well you're still dead last. You wouldn't last two minutes against me!"

Ash narrowed his eyes. "Want to bet?"

Gary already held out a Pokéball. "Yeah, I wanna bet. I bet you are no match for me!"

"Hn. Bring it on."

**X**

Gary threw out his first Pokéball. "Pidgeotto, show this punk how badass we are!"

A massive Pidgeotto came out from the Pokéball. It was almost as big as a Pidgeot, and the biggest one Ash had ever seen.

"Like it, Ashy-boy? I bought her from a breeder in Pewter. It was a hefty price, but it was worth it!"

Ash scowled. So Gary goes on about catching more than he did, and then says he bought one from a Breeder?

His Pokéball was thrown out into the air a few moments later, Kai emerging from it.

Gary snorted at the sight of it. "Still not evolved? Man, you are _way _more behind than I thought-"

"Flame Burst." The move caught Gary off guard, and Pidgeotto was burned by the flames.

Gary scowled. "Gust, knock that weakling down." The large bird gave a cry before flapping its wings at Kai, almost blowing the lizard over. Kai dug its feet into the ground and held strong.

"Dig." Kai started digging its claws into the ground rapidly. Ash had been walking the city when he saw something glinting off the sun in between two houses. It had been the TM Dig. Ash didn't know if it belonged to everyone, but finders keepers. If the person who dropped it wanted it, they would have noticed that it was gone.

"Hah, you think thats gonna save you? Pidgeotto, fly up!" Gary's Pokémon flew into the sky, blowing dirt where it lept off the ground.

What Gary hadn't expected, was Kai leaping out of the ground and firing a Flame Burst straight up at Pidgeotto. The bird screeched and used its wings to protect itself. It began losing altitude. Soon, Pidgeotto was low enough for Charmander to use Metal Claw, cutting large gashes into the Bird Pokémon.

Pidgeotto was unconscious before it even hit the ground.

"What?!" Gary yelled in shock.

"So, what was that bet, Gary?" Ash called over.

With an angry growl, Gary returned his Pokémon. "You got luck, Ashy-boy. Next time will be different!"

"There won't be a next time, Gary," Ash said. "If you're lucky." He mumbled afterwards. Ash continued on to the bridge. Behind him, Gary yelled.

"Just you wait, Ashy-boy! When the conference comes around, I will pound your sorry ass into the ground!"

Ash just shook his head and kept walking.

**X**

"Congratulations! You completed the Nugget Bridge challenge! In commemoration of this moment, here's a nugget." The man handed him a golden nugget.

"Say, how about you join Team Rocket?" He continued on. "We're a criminal organization focused on taking over the world! With your strength, you could be a top commander in no time!"

Was this guy for real? He just announced that his organization were criminals right out into the open. If he was a member of the team, their reputation must be terrible.

"If your team is any bit as stupid as you are, I don't want any part of it." Ash replied, shifting his eyes to the man who had just given him the nugget.

The man narrowed his eyes. "If you don't want to join willingly, I'll force you to join!" He said, pulling out a Pokéball.

"Fine then. Lets see if this 'Team Rocket' is any as great as you say it to be," he replied, pulling out Katana's Pokéball.

Two flashes of light later, Katana and an Ekans appeared on the bridge.

"Ekans, show this kid Team Rocket's power! Bite!" The man called out to his Pokémon.

Katana didn't need any commands to jump out of the way of the attack. It used Quick attack to jump to the side, avoiding the Ekans that jumped at it.

"Slash."

_Critical Hit!_

And the Ekans was knocked out. The man growled as he returned his Pokémon, switching the Pokéball out for another one. A Nidorino appeared from it. It growled at Katana, its barbs dripping poison. Ash returned Katana. All of its attacks were physical, and he didn't trust it to not get poisoned. Kai emerged from his next thrown Pokéball.

"Tackle!" The Nidorino lowered its horn and charged at Kai.

"Dig." Kai started to dig through the ground with its paws. The Nidorino barely stopped in time to avoid falling in the hole where Kai was a moment earlier.

"Come up and use metal claw." Ash muttered, knowing Kai could hear him. The fire lizard popped out of the ground behind Nidorino with its metallic claws reflecting in the sun. The attack scratched the Nidorino badly, but it wasn't enough to knock it out.

"Poison sting!" The man growled. The Nidorino shot poisonous needles at Kai. They sunk into its skin and pumped a bit of poison into its system. Kai growled at the Nidorino and breathed a Flame Burst at it without orders from Ash. The fire burned the poison type, and it was finally knocked out.

The man returned his Pokémon. He looked furious. "Alright then, if you don't want to join us willingly, I guess I have to take you in ropes!" He advanced towards Ash.

Only to get knocked off the bridge by an Aura Sphere.

Ash looked at Riley.

Riley looked at Ash.

"So, how about we get some lunch?"

**X**

After a wonderful lunch of sandwiches courtesy of the Pokécenter, the two travelers moved on towards Vermillion City. They had met up with Lucario, who was finished with the Pokémon Center's injured Pokémon, and Riley had given Ash one of the tickets to the S.S. Anne.

Riolu had taken to riding Ash's shoulder again, as they were away from the city. Zabuza didn't like it when people had been too near him, as he was only comfortable with his trainer. The Emanation Pokémon was very eager to be out of his Pokéball in so long.

The route they were taking to get to Vermillion was to take the path through Saffron City and cut through the city. Unfortunately, the guards in the gate that led to Saffron weren't exactly the most helpful. They had blocked off the route to anyone going through. They didn't even give Ash and Riley a reason, only stating that it wasn't safe.

That left Ash and Riley with only one option, going through the underground path. The path was theorized to have once been part of a passage for a war, but was sealed off because of bandits and criminals had often used it for their hangout. The league had dug it back out and made it fit for use again, mainly as a shortcut to Vermillion.

A girl had come up to them seeing Ash's annoyed face when they had walked out of the gate. She assumed that they had been told that they were not allowed in the City, and had told them of the tunnel. Riley thanked her for her help and they headed towards the building that led down to the path.

It was a short climb, but a very long path. The lights on the ceiling helped, but it was still hard to see. Zabuza was sleeping in Ash's backpack. Ash and Riley relied on their Aura Sight to keep them on the right path. On the way, Ash picked up a few items that had been dropped from other people using the path. A Elixer, a Super Potion, an a TM for Steel Wing was what he found.

Steel Wing was a TM usually made in Hoenn, not Kanto, so it was a pretty rare find. Elixirs were basically a Pokémon energy drink. The Super Potion Ash kept for emergencies, in case regular Potions weren't enough. The path had taken them a few hours, and it began to darken outside when they finally made it. Usually, for a Aura User, especially a novice, using the Aura Sight for so long would wear down the user. But Ash had so much more Aura, it didn't matter how long he used it. Riley could tell by looking at him that he'd only used about a quarter of it.

The two tired travelers made their way across the final route that would take them to Vermillion. Almost no wild Pokémon was out on the route, and there were little trainers. As they walked into Vermillion, the sky had darkened completely. They stopped at the Pokémon Center and asked the Nurse Joy there for a room. They had gotten lucky, as it was the last room they had in the Center.

When everything and everyone was settled for the night, Riley explained to Ash that the S.S. Anne was not set to leave for a few more days, and they had time to stay in the town for a bit. Ash nodded sleepily, the walk tiring him out immensely. Pretty soon, Ash was sound asleep. Riley was still awake, however, and had gotten up to rummage through his bag. He pulled out a yellow device, Pokénav, and started typing a message to his mentor.

_Reiki_

_I am set to return in a few days, fur at the most. I have gotten a bit delayed, and I have a surprise that you might not expect. I will require a new egg, as the one I had hatched. I traveled to Kanto instead of transferring the egg, as you know, to see the region once again. I didn't dare set foot in Pallet, but I had no need to. I expect that there shouldn't be anything wrong with my mines._

_Riley._

He sent the message. His mentor should get the message on his Pokétch tonight, if not in the morning. After closing his Pokénav, Riley finally got to sleep, Lucario leaning on the wall with his eyes closed next to the door. Tomorrow, they could do whatever they desired. Ash would most likely train his Pokémon. His son still remained much of a mystery to him, at one point kind, and at one point cold. What wasn't a mystery was how much he resented his father.

It pained Riley greatly to hide that fact from him, but it would eventually pain Ash more if he were to find out. Maybe teaching him aura _wasn't _such a good thing.

After all, if Ash turned on him, he would have the knowledge of Aura on his side. With his mass quantities of Aura, he wouldn't be a very fun opponent.

**X**

The next morning Ash woke up before Riley did. He decided to go along with the day by himself, and left a note for the older man to find. He went to the Center cafeteria, which was slightly crowded, and ate a breakfast of cheese omelets there. After eating, he left the Center to wander the town a bit. The first thing he checked out was the gym. Even if he had no intention of challenging it, he heard that it's leader had a tendency to be brutal to his challengers.

He was a Lieutenant in the War of Kanto, around 30 or so years ago. Surge looked much younger than he appeared to be, in his fifties. From what he saw in pictures, he was a tall muscular man. He wore camouflage pants and a green shirt, with a silver dog tag on a chain, and spiky blond hair. He usually wore a pair of sunglasses. His Pokémon consisted of electric types, with his most prominent one being his Raichu.

He usually claimed that electric Pokémon saved him in the war, zapping his enemies into unconsciousness or even death. One of his most favorite stories to tell to the media was when his plane ran out of power, and his electric types charged it with electric attacks before it could crash into enemy lines.

The gym looked rather silly, were two lightning bolts in an arc above the door, with two more above that in a 'V' shape. The door even had a lightning bolt painted onto it. For being called such a brutal man, his gym really didn't match that description.

Having gotten his look at the gym, Ash started towards the docks. Massive ships were lined up at the wooden pier, although the S.S. Anne wasn't docked yet. A few Sailors were walking around. Past the pier, there was a crowd gathering.

Ash pushed past the people in the crowd, gaining some annoyed looks, to see what everyone was looking at. A giant Pokémon looked to be sleeping in the path to get to Lavender town. There were a few Officer Jenny's there to keep the crowd back. One of them tapped Ash on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Excuse me, but you aren't allowed over here right now," She said. "This Snorlax is blocking the path, and we have to find a way to move it before we allow people past the city."

Ash looked at the officer for a moment. A Pokéball was thrown at the Snorlax a moment later, and to the shock of the crowd, captured it. The Jenny's looked at Ash.

"Looks like the path's open again." Ash said, clipping the Pokéball on his belt.

**X**

Riley woke up to see a note on the drawer next to his bed. It said that Ash had left on his own and was now exploring the city. Getting out of the bed, and putting on his hat, he woke up Lucario. They went and had breakfast in the Center Cafeteria. Riley finished up his plate, and both him and Lucario walked out of the Center together.

The first thing he did was look at the gym. Although Riley was a trainer himself, and a very proclaimed one, he never had the time or desire to challenge gyms. Byron, the gym Leader of Canalave City, had offered him a gym position once. He declined, and stated that Byron's own son would be better in that position. Roark became the gym leader of Oreburgh City, a few weeks after Riley suggested him.

The gym building wasn't very hard to miss, and most people would likely have their eyes drawn to it. The lightning bolt theme of the gym was a contrast to the small houses and pier. Riley had seen some trainers running into the Pokémon Center with heavily injured Pokémon, claiming that Lt. Surge had beat them. At first, Riley had been put off with the stories he overheard of the gym leader, but it was a Trainer's job to see if the challenge was too much or not.

Besides, he saw some trainers bring in Pidgeys and Rattatas, two fairly weak Pokémon, with one even being weak to electricity. With the reputation of the gym, he'd think people would be smart enough to stay away from it. Most trainers usually saved certain gyms for when they had more experience, Volkner from Sinnoh was the gym leader of Sunnyshore City, and he had that happen occasionally.

The Vermillion pier was crowded as usual, with people either getting on boats or getting off the boats. Pokémon, mainly Fighting Types, were helping Sailors carry cargo on to a few ships.

Besides the Gym and the Pier, there wasn't much to see in Vermillion. The Diglett Cave at the East of the City was a shortcut to Pallet, dug entirely by Diglett and Dugtrio. It was a good stop for those who wanted to challenge the gym, as Diglett were known to be the fasted Ground types in the world, if not Kanto. Electric types were weak to Ground Type attacks, and they couldn't use electricity against them because it had no effect.

While walking around, Riley spotted Ash by the Diglett Cave. Ash glanced at him.

"We might have to buy some more food."

Riley noticed the giant Snorlax next to him.

**X**

**10 chapters, new record! *Fireworks* *Fireworks***

**So I have started Skyrim, and its taking over my life right now. I know the game has been out for awhile, over 3 years...jesus thats ong ago? But I have only recently started it. For anyone that knows of The Completionist on youtube, my character is known as Jirard the Beardman and I create my character to match him.**

**For some reason.**

**Next chapter or the one after that: **_**THERE WILL BE A TIMESKIP!**_

**I am sorry if you don't want one, but there will be at least a 3 or 2 year timeskip for Ash's Aura training. Maybe for some filler chapters I will include some excerpts from that. Tell me what you think.**

**But anyways, I edited the last chapter. I hope its better than what it was. Its funny that I have a habit of making my chapter better **_**after **_**I upload them. Speaking of Chapters, I am going to start uploading them longer and much more revised than I usually (Should) do.**

**Thanks to Soof49 for being my Beta reader! This story would be much more...badly grammar'd without him.**

**Remember to leave a Review! **


	10. In Which They Ride Boats

**Oh hey, look at that. Not late this time. Its a miracle.**

**Time skip coming up next chapter. Ready your body for it.**

**I do not own Pokémon, and I do not make money off of this fic. (I wish though…)**

**X**

The days passed quickly.

Ash spent the majority of his time training his Pokémon. Kai had evolved during the second day, while fighting some of the wild Pokémon the North of the town. The Fire-Type had learned some new moves upon evolution, Fire Fang, Dragon Rage, and Scary Face. Its aggressiveness had definitely grown, and Ash had to stop it before Kai got into any fights with the other Pokémon.

Tsu had evolved too, and with it came the additions of Twister and Agility. The Water-Type had also gained some aggressiveness when it evolved, although not as much as Kai. Ash had started using it in some actual battles, now that it could levitate off of the ground. He had even started saving some money for a Dragon Scale, the item that would evolve Seadra into Kingdra. The only problem was that they were ridiculously expensive, and very rare.

Scyther had improved the least, but had been taught Agility by Tsu. Katana was now much faster in battle.

Snorlax wouldn't even wake up to train, so Ash usually left it in its Pokéball. Riolu had grown much more. Pokémon naturally grew much faster than humans, and Zabuza had grown to be almost the size Kai had been as a Charmander. Ash had it fighting more of the weak Pokémon, like Pidgey or Rattata, but at the rate it was going he might as well have let it fight some of the more powerful ones. Now, in addition to Foresight, Quick Attack, Endure, and Detect, the Emanation Pokémon now had Force Palm.

Riley had commented to him once that the size of Zabuza was abnormal, and it was usually smaller. The Pokémon was above average height-wise of its species.

The two had finally packed up their minimal things, and set out to the Pier. The S.S. Anne was huge, [pretend I put accurate measurements here. Soof, help me out here. I failed measurement class]. The security guard at the ramp that led to the ship nodded and let them past when they held up their tickets. The ship was very fancy, and didn't mesh well with Ash's worn clothes. Riley definitely looked the part, and his clothes didn't even have a stain of them. Maybe that was an Aura trick.

Ash made a mental note to blame everything weird on Aura, as it was obvious thats what it was.

Some of the richer looking men and women glanced at him with distaste as they walked by. Noticing this, Riley whispered to Ash.

"Don't worry, when you finally complete your training, you will receive a suit and hat like mine. Then you won't have to face evil stares from higher-ups any longer."

Ash smirked and snickered a bit, before splitting up with Riley and heading to his own room. Like the rest of the ship, it was very fancy. It was also quite large, obviously if Bill had actually decided to use his tickets, he'd have a lot of room for studying.

Ash set down his bag next to the bed. Even though the First Class of the S.S. Anne, most likely the lower class would actually have trainers like him. Of course, whenever he battled, most of them underestimated him by his lack of Badges. He'd shown them that strength didn't depend on the amount of pins you had in a display case.

Ash sat down on his bed, thinking. Even though he didn't show it, he was still on his path to confront his father. He had accepted the offer of Aura Training, but he didn't care for the specifics. He only needed to be strong enough to beat him. And, if he knew anything about him, he would most likely not play fair. Ash had speculated that he had joined one of the criminal organizations in the world, and they had a reputation for being brutal outside of a battle.

Team Rocket, Magma, Aqua, Galactic, it didn't matter to him where he was. If he had joined one of those gangs, he might as well take them down along with his Father. Aura would certainly help, as while his Pokémon were strong, Ash wasn't the most fit and strong himself. He had seen Riley do things with Aura a regular person wouldn't stand a chance with. Aura Sphere, he had heard Riley say, was one of, if not the most, used Aura technique used with a Aura Guardian.

There was a reason Aaron Hogosha had stopped a war by himself. Although, he had died in a undiscovered way. Some had theorized that he had sacrificed himself to a god in exchange for peace. Others say he had fled, and his Lucario had stopped the warring sides. Some had even thought he had gone into hiding afterwards, to avoid his many enemies.

He was a hero to most, and a prominent Aura Guardian. Many had tried to steal his staff, the one he had used as his weapon. The staff was found after the abandoned war, and had been in the Kingdom of Rota ever since, although many thieves had tried to steal it.

A few hours later, Ash was waken up by a knock on the door of his room. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He hadn't even realised he fell asleep. He opened the door, revealing a older gentleman wearing a brown suit. The man looked down a bit before narrowing his eyes a little.

He cleared his throat as he spoke. "There will be a Pokémon tournament on the deck at 5 PM. If you wish to join, please sign up there. It is a three versus three , with a singles battle format."

The man moved on to the next door, stating the exact message to the people or person who opened the door. Ash sighed and looked at the clock in the room. It was only an hour away, and gave him little time to get himself presentable. He walked into the bathroom and brushed his hair, and splashing some water on his face to wake himself up.

He could worry about finding his father later. He didn't even know if he was in Kanto, or Sinnoh for that matter, and he had more pressing matters.

Like how to brush the strands of his hair that kept sticking up.

**X**

An hour later, Ash, who had finally fixed his hair and signed up for the Tournament, was facing his first battle.

He was the second battle of the tourney, and he was facing a slightly younger guy named Jason. A blond hair kid who couldn't keep his mouth shut about being the Champion. Ash almost snorted. If you wanted to be a Champion, you had to be respected, intelligent, and strong. The referee signaled for the two trainers to send out their Pokémon.

Ash sent out Zabuza, while Jason sent out a Vulpix. Ash's Riolu was still a bit young for serious battles, but if the match got too much for it, Ash would call it back. The Emanation Pokémon bounced around happily when it was first released, but stopped when it noticed the other Pokémon in the field.

"Alright Vulpix, torch that thing with a Ember!" Jason yelled, pointing a finger at Zabuza unnecessarily, as that was the only other Pokémon on the field.

"Quick Attack, hit with Force Palm." Ash calmly said to his Pokémon. Zabuza shouted its name, before dodging to the left with Quick Attack, quickly closing the space between it and Vulpix. Its hand glowed white before quickly moving to the other side of the Fox Pokémon, avoiding another Ember, before thrusting its arm out and hitting Vulpix with its palm.

The Fire-Type growled before digging underground at its Trainer's orders. Zabuza looked around, wondering where the small Fox Pokémon had gone.

"Dig back up and use scratch, Vulpix!" Jason yelled, again pointing, although his Pokémon was underground.

"Detect, another Force Palm." Riolu nodded, signalling that it heard its Trainer. It closed its eyes before jumping back, its paw glowing again. The Vulpix came up out of the ground, but it didn't know that the Pokémon had dodged. It was hit with the Force Palm before it could completely land on the ground. It was sent skidding to the right, before being declared knocked out by the Referee. It was returned a moment later.

"Aw man! You just got lucky, Ash! My next one won't be so easy to beat," Jason declared, taking another Pokéball off of his belt and throwing it into the field. The ball opened, and a Toad Pokémon appeared from it. A quick scan from the Pokédex revealed it was a Palpitoad, from the Unova region. Ash really didn't have much to face a Water/Ground Type, but he eventually settled for switching out Zabuza for Tsu. Ash knew from a quick look at Palpitoad's possible abilities that most were only effective in rain.

Tsu had the ability Swift Swim, which would make it much faster if it rained. This way, if Jason planned to use Rain Dance, it would backfire. Judging by the scowl on his opponent's face, he guessed his strategy correctly.

The match started with Jason ordering a water gun on the ground. It quickly wet the dirt, turning it into mud.

"Mud Slap, Palpitoad!" He pointed again. His Pokémon used its tail to scoop up some mud before flinging it at the Seadra. Tsu seemed to scoff before levitating higher, avoiding the mud completely.

"Agility, Twister." Tsu glowed before puffing up its cheeks and blowing. The wind picked up before a small tornado picked up, lifting some of the mud and blowing the Palpitoad back, getting hit with some of its own mud.

"Bubblebeam, before it gets back up." Tsu spit out some bubbles from its mouth(?) at the Toad Pokémon. The bubbles popped on contact, releasing some energy stored inside and damaging it.

"Water gun, follow with Mud Shot!" Jason yelled, getting frustrated by how badly the battle was going for him.

The Palpitoad rolled out of the way of the bubbles, before blasting a jet of water at Tsu. The Seadra couldn't stop its attack in time to dodge, and was hit by the blast of water, before also getting hit by a jet of mud. Tsu quickly levitated to Palpitoad, Agility enhancing its speed, before firing a point blank Water gun. The attack knocked out the Palpitoad, Jason returning it after the Ref officially declared it fainted.

Ash's opponent sent out a Buizel next, another look at the Pokédex giving him the information he needed. He returned Tsu and sent out Katana. The Ref nodded and they began the match.

Ash opened up the battle this time. "Night Slash, Fury Cutter. Get in close with Quick Attack."

The Scyther nodded before running over to the Buizel, a white line trailing it. Its scythes glowed green on the left, and black on the right.

"Don't let it near you! Water Gun, Ice Punch if it gets too close to you!" Again with the pointing. from Jason. His Buizel nodded before firing jets of water at Katana. The Scyther weaved to the right, and left to avoid the water. Once it was near the Water-Type, it raised a scythe and tried to slash at the Buizel. The Sea Weasel Pokémon blocked the Night Slash with its Ice Punch, but it couldn't block the other scythe. Before the Buizel could recover, Ash ordered another Fury Cutter, before telling Katana to jump back.

"Aqua Jet, c'mon, hit it!" Jason yelled.

The Orange Pokémon struggled to remain standing a moment before cloaking itself in water and rushing at Katana. The Scyther was hit before Ash could fully finish his commands to it, and was pushed back a few inches. The Scyther Growled before slashing at it with Slash, the Buizel took it dead on, causing it to sway and fall to the ground.

"Jason Namaki is out of usable Pokémon, the winner of this battle is Ash Ketchum!" The Commentator said into his microphone. The small crowd on the deck clapped. Ash cringed slightly, he hadn't realised there were so many people watching his battle. He saw someone taking pictures in the crowd.

It was a good thing he finally got his hair to stay down.

**X**

"And Katelyn's Dragonair has fainted! The winner of the battle and first place winner goes to Ash Ketchum!" The crowd cheered louder for the Trainer. After defeated 2 more opponents, he had won the tournament. Most of the Trainers that joined weren't too experienced, and many had probably only tagged along with their parents.

Some of the better dressed Trainers were probably from some of the richer families, and had bought their Pokémon instead of catching them themselves. They had likely tagged along with their families on Vacation.

For winning, Ash was given some prizes. He stepped onto the platform that he was instructed to go. He stood with the Second and Third place winners, someone he didn't battle and the girl he had just fought against.

"For the third place prize, we have a set of Wings from Unova! These Wings will increase a Pokémon's capabilities!" The man handed Katelyn the case of Wings, before moving on the second place as she left.

"For the second place prize, we have 10 Great Balls from Silph Company!" He handed the second, a guy named Mark, the case of Great Balls. They were usually expensive, and were much more efficient for catching Pokémon. 10 of them probably cost the host a few hundred dollars.

"For our First place Winner, we have a Pokémon, gifted from the Pokémon Hoenn League!" The Host handed Ash a completely white Pokéball, with a red line around the middle, a Premier Ball. Ash studied it for a moment.

"Now go ahead and open it, we'd love to see what Pokémon they sent!" The man urged.

Ash clicked the Premier Ball's button, and a four legged Pokémon was released from it. It had white hair and a crescent-like scythe on its head, pointing up.

"Its an Absol, a rare Dark-Type that is said to bring disaster. But those rumours were disproven long ago, and the truth was that it warned of disaster, not bring it." The crowd looked in awe at the Absol, before cheering one last time for the three Trainers.

Ash smiled and waved.

**X**

Their time on the ship was over, And Ash with his company stepped on to Canalave City. Sinnoh was very cold, and Ash wished he had brought a jacket a few minutes after docking. His light jacket wasn't very resistant to the weather.

Of course, they didn't have to wait very long before they got on another boat, this one heading to an Island Riley hadn't mentioned to him. The Captain of the small ship mentioned to him that it was Iron Island, home of many Steel and Fighting Pokémon.

The ride on the boat was much quicker than the one on the S.S. Anne. A few hours, and they'd already reached the Island.

Ash and Riley walked off, Riley bidding goodbye to the Captain. The two humans and Lucario, who was finally released from his Pokéball that Riley held on a necklace.

They walked into a small clearing, where they had seen a house. It looked completely out of place, a wooden house on a mountain-like area. Riley unlocked the door with a Key he had pulled from his coat pocket. He opened the door, taking off his hat and placing it down on a table near the door.

A man, probably in his mid 30's, was sitting on the middle of the floor, in a meditative-like state. He looked up at them, although he glanced at Ash a little longer, and spoke.

"Well, when you said you had a surprise, you weren't kidding."

**X**

Ash studied the man. He had told him that his name was Reiki Namisei, and he was Riley's teacher. Riley had told him that he brought Ash because of his willingness to learn to manipulate Aura.

"Cynthia stopped by while you were away, Riley. She declined my offer to train her. She already has her hands full with being a Champion, and her Togekiss had recently fallen ill. She does not know when it will recover."

Riley nodded, Cynthia would have not had the time for Training and being a Champion. She would also have to care for her Togekiss.

"Anyways, nice to meet you, Ash. I will train you in Aura. I am aware you have the Riolu who had hatched from the egg. He will be your partner, trained by mine and Riley's Lucario. You will not be the only one training, and your Pokémon have permission to receive training from our Pokémon," Reiki said.

Ash noticed someone standing outside through the window. The boy was around his age, and had red hair with a black jacket on. Reiki noticed his stare and smiled.

"I see you have found my own apprentice. Silver, you may come in!" He yelled to the boy.

The door opened and the boy walked in.

"I noticed him in Johto, and decided to train him myself. He has only been here for a few days and has not yet begun his training. I had decided to wait for Riley to return, but I did not expect to see another Aura User. Although, now that you are here Riley, we can start soon."

"Before we begin, although, I have one question for you, two," He said, standing up and looking at the two boys.

"Are you ready to begin your Path of Aura?"

**X**

**And that sets up the next chapter to begin the timeskip. I have finally decided on the amount of time to go by, but you guys won't know until I post it :P**

**THANK YOU ALL FOR 35 FAVS, 66 FOLLOWS, AND 20 REVIEWS!**

**Reiki is my OC for this story, and he should be the only one, as far as I've planned. Silver was kind of a last minute decision to add into the story, but he is one of my favorite characters. Silver will be important later, but for now he is a side character.**

**If some people want me to, I will post some one-shots or a few chapters of Ash's time on Iron Island. Let me know in the reviews if you want me to!**

**Reviews are love. And I finally decided to devote my life to them. 3**


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